Do you support President Obama's move to lift the trade and travel embargo on Cuba?

76%

Yes

24%

No

"Register to vote for this question"

Learn More about Cuban Trade Embargo

The United States embargo against Cuba (in Cuba called el bloqueo, "the blockade") is a commercial, economic, and financial embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba. An embargo was first imposed by the United States on Cuba on October 19, 1960 (almost two years after the Batista regime was deposed by the Cuban Revolution) when the U.S. placed an embargo on exports to Cuba except for food and medicine after Cuba nationalized American-owned Cuban oil refineries without compensation. Cuba nationalized the refineries following Eisenhower's decision to cancel 700,000 tons of sugar imports from Cuba to the U.S. and refused to export oil to the island, leaving it reliant on Soviet crude oil. All American oil companies refused to refine Soviet oil, leading the Cuban government to nationalize the refineries. The refinery owners were never compensated for the Cuban nationalization of their property. Today the refineries are owned & operated by the state-run company, Unión CubaPetróleo. On February 7, 1962 the embargo was extended to include almost all imports. Currently, the Cuban embargo is enforced mainly through six statutes: the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917, the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the Cuban Assets Control Regulations of 1963, the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992, the Helms?Burton Act of 1996, and the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. The stated purpose of the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 is to maintain sanctions on Cuba so long as the Cuban government refuses to move toward "democratization and greater respect for human rights". The Helms?Burton Act further restricted United States citizens from doing business in or with Cuba, and mandated restrictions on giving public or private assistance to any successor government in Havana unless and until certain claims against the Cuban government were met. In 1999, President Bill Clinton expanded the trade embargo by also disallowing foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies to trade with Cuba. In 2000, Clinton authorized the sale of "humanitarian" U.S. products to Cuba.

Related Article

Refugees from Syria are having a difficult time in handling with things at once. Without food and shelter, refugees are made to beg in front of Europe and other countries. The acceptance of refugees has taken with full fervor in Germany and it has grave consequences with crime rate increasing at an alarming rate. Canadian government also took the initiative to accept refugees and it is turn of the US to accept them. There are two sides to this action â accepting refugees would be a humanitarian cause and on the contrary, accepting refugees would not be an easy task as it takes a toll on resources. The decision on refugees should not be taken in haste and every aspect of acceptance of refugees should be taken care.

The US is waging a great deal of resources in war against ISIS. The war against ISIS seems to go nowhere and its consequences are unbearable. The recent terrorist attacks in France and other parts of Europe are as shocking as it can be. We never know that ISIS sympathizers can knock at the doors of the great America anytime soon. Therefore, it becomes prime responsibility of the US to take a stand to ensure that ISIS existence is no more.

Another foreign policy issues is the closure of military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba has always been a major reason of rift between the US Administration and Military judges. The military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba came into existence in 2002. However, in the next few years, Administration was in a dilemma to continue with the detention center or not. Last year, President Barack Obama came with an idea to move detention center from Cuba to the United States. In contrast, more speculation is expected and much more turmoil is also visible in the coming times.